Index card and the like



E. J.'CARTER INDEX CARD AND THE LIKE Filed May 12, 1959 v INVENTOR. FDWARD J CARTER ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 2, 1941 INDEX CARD AND THE LIKE Edward J. Carter, New York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Nelson J. Fonarow, Chicago, Ill., and one-half to George L. Peters, Brooklyn,

Application May 12, 1939, Serial No. 273,240

3 Claims.

This invention relate very generally to index cards and the like.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an index card and the like with means for permanently protecting the writing thereon from smearing or becoming blurred from continual handling.

Another object is to'reinforce that edge of they index card and the like which is mostly handled, with means which will prevent the same from becoming worn, frayed or torn.

A further object is to provide an improved adhesive for a transparent sheeted material which satisfies thefollowing requirements: (1) Will not discolor in time due to sunlight; A (2) will not be substantially afiected by climatic conditions; and

upper edge. It is assumed that this upper edge is the one mostly handled, since it will be obvious that the film can be applied to any edge it is.

desired to protect. Film 2 is so designed that it can be folded over the upper edge of the card I in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 2a. to protect any intelligence which is applied to the card. In

order to permit easy handling of the card and film in packaging and stacking until such time as it is desired to fold the filmover the top edge voi the card, there is provided -a suitable liner 3 which is smooth to the touch and attached to the adhesive coated side of film 2 and which preferably extends slightly over the upper edge and front of the card I to reinforce said edge and to aiford a portion of the liner out of contact with (3) will withstand higher temperatures than known similar products without changing its characteristics.

a removable liner. when it is desired to protect the printing or writing on the card, the liner is removed and the transparent film folded over the edge of the card to cover a desired area.

The'following is a detailed description of the invention accompanied by a drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a side edge view of a finished card or the like, in accordancewith the invention, as it appears before the protecting film is folded over the edge to protect the writing of the card; Fig. 2 shows the card of Fig. 1 after the liner has been removed and the film folded over to protect the writing on the card:

Fig. 2a is a front view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of the various Fig. 4 illustrates the film of Fig. 3 after it has been applied to the card but before the liner is attached to the film.

Referring to Fig. 1 in more detail, the record-- card I which is to be protected is provided at its upper edge with a transparent flexible film 2 which is attached by adhesive to the rear of card along'a narrow marginal strip near the adhesive for readily stripping the same from the film, asshown. This slight extension of the liner 3 over the upper edge of the card enables the user to grasp the liner 3 forremoving the same from the film 2 immediately before folding the film over the card. The film 2 is provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive coating which enables the liner 3 to be easily applied to it and removed therefrom, and'also enables the film to be easily applied to the card surfaces. Because of the transparency of the film 2, the writing or printing on the card will be plainly visible through the film. a

Fig. 3 illustrates the preferred manner of forming the improved transparent film of the invention, although it will be understood that any suitable film may be employed, in combination with the card and the. like. The film 2 is composed of a transparent sheeted material or backing a, such as Cellophane, Pliofllm, gelatine, acetate or some similar product, a transparent pressure sensitive adhesive coating b, a layer of thin bibulous paper c, and finally another coating of transparent pressure sensitive adhesive d.

Paper 0 is of such a nature ,that it will "be transparent in the finished product, and is preferably of the type that has long fibres intermingled in felted manner, the purpose of which is that in the rolling or squeezing operation during the manufacture of the film thepaperv will be thoroughly impregnated by the adhesive composition of layers b and d, a portion of each adhesive lamination or coating penetrating half of the paper to meet a portion of the adhesive material of I the other adhesive lamination or coating.

eral formula CnHfln-Z. Such an adhesive adheres to a surface on application and is readily removable and separable therefrom without leaving residuum. In addition, the adhesive has excellent light fastness properties and is non-bleeding in character.

by adding to the solutions of polybutene rubber, which are of various molecular weights, softeners, plasticizers and resins:

A mixture of polybuta-diene polymerization The adhesive coatings b and d described above will not discolor in time due to sunlight, as rubber adhesives now in use generally do. Nor will the adhesive coatings b and d be affected by climatic conditions, such as heat and cold, and will not break down and become soft and oxidize at the temperatures at which known rubber adhesives change their characteristics.

In one particular process of manufacturing the preferred form of film 2, a sheet of the transparent backing a is run through a coating machine and a coating of pre'ssuresensitive adhe- The sive b is applied onto one side thereof. backing a and the attached adhesive coating b is 'then advanced and the paper is applied to coating b. After this, the structure composed of Y layers a, b, and c is further advanced and another coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive d is applied to the outer surface of the paper c. The product will now have the form shown in Fig. 3, and if desired may be subjected to a pressure or squeezing operation. The film may now be out into narrow strips or rolls and then applied to the cards or sheets I in any suitable manner The following formulae set ,forth suitable adhesive coating formulas made if desired, extend more or less over the front surface of the element I, as indicated in Fig. 1, and may be provided with a tab for enabling the user to more easily remove the liner. The film 2 may have any desired relative area compared to the element 1. and may cover only a small marginal area adjacent the edge when folded over, or even the entire card, and may be used to protect the edge and/or the printing or writing on the card. Where the film 2 is to be employed primarily for protecting the edge of the card rather than the writing thereon, the backing a need not be transparent. It will therefore be ovious that the invention is not limited to the precise details set forth herein, but that its scope covers variations and modifications which will occur to those skilled in the art. 1

What is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, an improved record card comprising a card adapted to receive intelligence upon the face thereof; a flexible, pressure-sensitive adhesive film, transparent when in use, attached by its adhesive surface to the back of said card, extending beto achieve the form shown in Fig. 4. At this step in the process of making the completed index card of the invention, the protective liner 3 is applied over the adhesive coating d to form the construction shown in Fig. 1. The card is now ready for use in the manner previously described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.

As an example, here given by way of illustration only, of the thicknesses of the'laminations employed in the film 2, adhesive layers 17 and d may each be 0.00075 inch and paper c and backing a may be .0005 inch. In the finished film 2, after a pressure operation, each adhesive layer will penetrate one-half of the thickness of the paper 0 for a depth of 0.00025 inch, thus pro-, viding an adhesive layer of .0005 inch above and below the paper in the finished film.

It should be understood that although the invention has been described particularly with respect to index cards, it is not limited thereto, since element I may be a card, a sheet or disc of any suitable writing or intelligence bearing material, such as paper etc., or a stamped out blank containing letters, or intelligence bearing symbols. Hence, the term card as used in the specification and appended claims is intended to include all of the foregoing types of materials. It should also be understood that the liner 3 could,

yond an edge thereof, and adapted to be folded over said edge and to be attached to a portion of the face of said card to cover intelligence thereon; and a removable liner attached to the part of the adhesive surface of said film extending beyond the edge of the card to protect said adhesive surface from accidental contact, said liner extending over the edge of the card upon a marginal area of the-face thereof to reinforce said edge and to afford a portion of the liner out of contact with adhesive fonreadily stripping the same from the film, thereby providing an improved record card having attached to the back thereof an adhesive film from which the protective liner can be stripped to permit attachment of said film to the face of the card whereby a card having a film firmly attached to the back thereof and having its face entirely unobstructed for receiving intelligence upon substantially the full area thereof can be provided and whereby intelligence received upon a portion of the face of the card is protected by folding said film thereover and is clearly legible through said protective film.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an improved record card.comprising a card adapted to receive intelligence upon the face thereof and having no obstacles to printing and. typing such intelligence upon substantially the full area of said face; a flexible, pressure-sensitive adhesive film, transparent when in use, attached by its v adhesive surface to a marginal area,,of the back of said card adjacent one edge thereof, extend ing beyond said edge, and adapted to be folded over said edge and to be attached to a portion of the face of said card to cover intelligence thereon; and a removable liner attached to the part of the adhesive surface of said film extending beyond the edge of the card to protect said adhesive surface from accidental contact, said liner extending over the edge of the card upon a marginal area of the face thereof to reinforce said edge and to afford a portion of the liner out of contact with adhesive for readily stripping the same from the film, thereby providing an improved record card having attached to the back thereof an adhesive film from which the protective liner can be stripped. to permit attachof the card is protected by folding said film thereover and is clearly legible through said protective filmand whereby additional intelligence can be entered upon the unprotected portion of the face of the card after attachment of said film to a portion of said face.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an improved record card comprising a card adapted to receive intelligence upon the face thereof; a fiexible, pressure-sensitive adhesive film, transparent when in use, attached by its adhesive surface to a marginal area of the back of said card adjacent one edge thereof, extending beyond said edge, and adapted to be folded over said edge and to be attached to a portion of the face of said card to cover intelligence thereon, said adhesive film. being composed of a pliable transparent backing, and an integral multi-layer adhesive coat attached thereto, said coat comprising a first layer of a substantially transparent adhesive composition, a bibulous web of paper fibers overlying said first layer and capable of substantial transparency when impregnated with a substantially transparent adhesive composition, and a second layer of a substantially transparent pressure-sensitive adhesive composition overlying said bibulous web, said adhesive compositions im-. pregnating said web from both sides and holding said web in suspension therein as a strengthening bond to form an integral adhesive coat, thereby providing an adhesive film having an unusually firm bond between the backing and the adhesive coat and being transparent to reflected lightwhen mounted upon a surface; and a removable liner attached to the part of the ad hesive surface of said film extending beyond the edge of the card to protect said adhesive surface from accidental contact, said liner extending over the edge of the card upon a marginal area of the face thereof to reinforce said edge and to aiford a portion of the liner out of contact with adhesive for readily stripping the same from the film, thereby providing an improved record card having attached to the back thereof an adhesive film from which the protective liner can be strippedto permit attachment of said film to the face of the card whereby a card having a film firmly attached to the back thereof and having its face entirely unobstructed for receiving vintelligence upon substantially the full area thereof.

can be provided and whereby intelligence received upon a portion of the face of the card is protected by folding said film thereover and is clearly legible through said protective film.

- EDWARD J. CARTER. 

